Roma (Gypsies) in the Soviet Union and the Moscow Teatr “Romen”(1991)

The Moscow Teatr “Romen,” dating back to 1931, is famous throughout the Soviet Union, and its performers have been some of the country’s best known. The Teatr draws Roma to audition from all over the country; however, many who work there are related: three generations of a family may appear on the stage at one time. These “dynasties,” along with Roma working as professionals, make up an elite within the Romani community in Moscow. They are the most outwardly assimilated (wearing European dress, and so forth), ¹ most fluent and literate in Russian as well as Romani. These families usually move in different social spheres than do Roma who live in villages around Moscow, who work in cooperatives or as independent merchants. ² This is because the performers generally belong to a group of Roma who have been in Russia much longer than the others. While some “dynasties” include Roma of other groups, such as the Vlach, most performing families are “Russka” or “Ukrainska” Roma (“Khaldytka” and “Servitska”).